The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-21
GETTING MORE MYSTERIOUS
Testimony by a Number of Witnesses
Tending to Prove an Alibi for lsaacs.
The Defense Also Bring Forward a Man Who
Saw the Murder and Testifies that Co.
naughton Was Shot by Reinhold.

The Isaacs murder trial was devoid OF any
sensational features yesterday. but notwith-
standing this fact, the courtroom was crowded
all day with the same persons who have been
there from the beginning During the afternoon
session about fifty ladies present. and
occupied seats Immediately behind the jury.
The accused bore hopeful look all day. and
says he has not the slightest fears of being
rrund guilty The entire day was occupied in
the endeavor of the defense tc establish an alibi,
and the positive evidence of several business
men that Isaacs was on his beat when the muir
der occurred put barrier in the way of convic-
ton. it is believed. that it will be very hard to
remove. The evidence was monotonous, and
was only enlivened by the cross examinations.
and the spirited spats between Prosecutor
Mitchell and attorney Harding for the defense.
The first witness was Thomas Mcmahon. an
employee in Lewark's livery stable, on Pearl
street He saw Isaacs twenty minutes before 7
o'clock in Lewark's stable when he came in and
handed tie witness his rubber coat and revolver.
Isaacs then went out and was gone few min
utes when he returned. and, together, they
went to Sim Coy's saloon and took drink On
cross. examination he fixed the time of the first
call at GA o'clock.
Gus Paul, another employe in the stable, saw
Isaacs there about 6:30, or perhaps little later.
w. E. Leo testified that he met the accused on
Illinois street. between Pearl and Maryland, at
7:15 or near that time; and John Berry stated
that he saw Isaacs in Coys saloon between $50
and T. He could not remember whether Isaacs
wore hat or cap. William Wachstetter, the
bartender in Coy's saloon. corroborated the
statement that Isaacs and McManon had
visited the saloon together and had
taken a drink. He went off watch at
o'clock, and as the night man had not yet come,
he knew it was before Z.
Perhaps the most important of the witnesses
were the employees of the Occidental clothing
store, corner of Illinois and Washington streets.
Nathan Reinheimer. J. W. Parker, Levi G.
Ballard and Nathan Schoff all testified that
Isaacs was in the store twenty minutes before
o'clock, almost precisely the time the murder
occurred, according to the statement of the
oiicers The time was fixed definitely by the
fact that Mr.. Reinheimer set his watch in the
presence of Isaacs, and several remarks about
the time were made. w. T. Owens saw Isaacs
on the corner about fifteen minutes before Z,
and thought ne cap. Benjamin Irving
and William McVickers, hack-drivers, were on
Illinois street, near the Occidental Hotel, all
evening, and saw Isaacs pass few minutes
before T.
The first witness after noon was Frank
Thompson a coal-hauler for Shellhouse & Co.
He came down Washington street that evening
and as he passed the courthouse noticed that 1t
was 6:30 o'clock. He went on to Sim Coy's sa-
loon and there he saw Isaacs out of the
alley on to the street. 1t must have been ten or
fifteen minutes before then. The accused, he
said. wore a cap The witness was put through
q very rigid crossexamination, but did not be-
come confused.
Thomas E. Collins, clerk in Shorts drug
store, No 40 South Illinois street, was in the
rear part of the room preparing to start to sup
per- when he heard DR.. Short call to Isaacs.
He thought it was Gas o'clock as he usually
started to supper about that time
Fl. l.. Bert, the tailor, who at the time of the
murder had his tailoring establishment at No. .
South Illinois street, saw Isaacs pass his store
sometime between 6:15 and o'clock. He fixed
the time because his clerks had gone to supper
He said Isaacs wore tur cap.
Richard S Campln shoe dealer at No. %
West Washington street, left his place of bust
ness at 6:45 o'clock and went to Lewarks stable
to get his horse and buggy to go home. While
he was driving out his buggy Issacs came up
and handed an employee, whom he knew
"Tom" rubber coat.
Dr. W. N. Short, the druggist, testified that
just after he had returned from supper Isaacs
came into his stors to have prescription filled.
He didn't know the exact time. but thought it
was not quite z. The accused he was positive,
cap.
Charles p. Green, another clerk for Mr.. Short.
COrfOUOraLSu Lu0 SLAIeLuonb tudI 1SddC5 was III
the store few minutes before Z.
Mrs Frank Ryan said she saw 1saacs stand
ing outside her husbands hat store fifteen min
utes before g. She knew it was before g. because
she always went to supper at prompt.
l.. P. Grady said he was talking with hack
driver in front of the Occidental Hotel when
Isaacs passed. He had looked at his watch when
he left supper, few minutes before. and it was
then fifteen minutes before Z.
Samuel Marley said that he saw Isaacs fifteen
minutes before z going into the Occidental
clothing store.
w. P. Kerran. who worked for H. L. Best
testified that he left the store at o'clock for his
home, No 1913 South East street. and met Isaacs
just below the Bank of Commerce on Virginia
avenue, coming north. On cross-examlnation,
he admitted that he was not sure that the man
he met was ISaacS.
This closed the albi evidence, and the other
line of defense, that another man fred the fatal
shot, was taken up. James A. Shea a yard con-
ductor for the c., st. l.. q Z. railroad, residing
- South Noble street, was put the
0and. On the night of the murder he
was on his way to attend lodge meeting. and
was coming up Virginia avenue. When the
first shot was fired he was few feet north of
Hunt q Pray's coal-shed on the avenue. He
stopped and heard man running. Immediately
second shot fired, and then he turned
around and saw Conaughton rising to mis- feet
on the sidewalk six feet in the rear Of him.
When Conaughton raised up the sidewalk and
started to run he hinched when he put his right
foot down, though he was wounded The
third slot was fired from some point east of the
coal-shed. He saw the flash of the second shot
fired and thought it ranged directly toward
Reinhold. The man in the yard doing the shoot
ing called out, after he had fired the second
shot, stop that man. He has got away" A,
the time he did not know it was Reinhold who
spoke. Conaughton ran past him and either
slipped staggered. He turned and
ran into the coal. yard. The witness saw no one
there but Reinhold. and lady who was near
him on the avenue. After Conaughton passed
him. he stood near the coal shed, and did not see
Renhold come around the corner. and run pas
him. He could distinguish difference in the
sound of the three shots The witness wa.
cross-examined at great length by Major
Mitchell.
Where did you first see Conauehton!" the
witness was asked.
II heard him jump over the fence, and looked
around. He was just getting up answered
Shea.
Where were you when the second shot wa.
fred!"
IA few feet north of Conaughton"
when did he 1inch,n
"When the second shot was fred"
Where did you first see Sergeant Sauers?n
"When he started through the coal-shedn
where was the third shot fredl'
East of the coa-shed"
Didn't you say anything to anyone there7.
81 said to Captain Campbell, when they were
carrying the man to the avenue You are
using that man too rough; he is shot,
ION the Sunday after the shooting didn't yo,
go to the station house and say to Superintend